“Throne Room”

“Αίθουσα του Θρόνου”

You are in the antechamber of a complex of rooms that Evans named the "Throne Room". Its name comes from the stone seat found in the room behind the antechamber (Figure 1).

Stone benches are preserved in the antechamber, and between them were discovered traces of a burnt wooden construction. Today, a wooden seat has been placed here which is a copy of the stone one in the neighboring chamber. After the antechamber is the central room of the complex. Right and left of the stone seat are yet more stone benches. Pieces of fresco depicting plants and griffins, mythical beasts with a lion's body and bird's head (Figure 2) were found in the same room. The restored fresco is in Herakleion Museum. Evans put a copy in its place. Stone vases for oil, often connected with rituals, were found on the floor. The stone basin you see was actually found in a neighboring corridor and placed here To the left, a low partition wall with a column creates a small area like a cistern since it has a sunken floor. Evans thought that areas with a similar form were used for purification ceremonies and therefore called them "Lustral Basins".

The central room connects at the back with a series of small, dark rooms which were lit by lamps, as the finds illustrate.

The function of the complex is difficult

By Dale K. Benington, June 21, 2015

2. "Throne Room" Marker

Close-up view, that is displayed on the marker, of an illustration, showing where the park visitor was in relation to the ruins of the archaeological park, while standing in front of the marker.

to determine. Evans believed that the rooms were used for ceremonies with the main figure being the king of Knossos in his religious capacity. However, it seems unlikely to have been a "Throne Room" in the modern sense of the word.

Location. 35° 17.88′ N, 25° 9.786′ E. Marker is in Knosos, Crete, in Heraklion. Marker can be reached from Dedalou south of Glafkou, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. This marker is located on the island of Crete, just south of the capital city of Heraklion, in the Palace of Knossos archaeological park, and you must be walking on the grounds of the archaeological park in oder to see this marker. Marker is in this post office area: Knosos, Crete 714 09, Greece.

View of the structure where the "Throne Room" was located, with a significant number of visitors to the archaeological park, many waiting to see the "Throne Room."

By Dale K. Benington, June 21, 2015

5. "Throne Room" Antechamber

View of visitors, lined up in the antechamber, waiting their turn to view the central room of the complex, the "Throne Room."

By Dale K. Benington, June 21, 2015

6. "Throne Room" Marker

Close-up view, that is displayed on the marker, of an illustration, that is identified on the marker as being figure 1, showing the excavated (and not reconstructed) "Throne Room," probably of Evan's day.

By Dale K. Benington, June 21, 2015

7. "Throne Room"

View of the reconstructed "Throne Room" of today.

By Dale K. Benington, June 21, 2015

8. "Throne Room" Marker

Another view of the reconstructed "Throne Room" of today. Note that the reconstructed fresco, on the back wall, includes a griffin, with a lion's body and a bird's head.

By Dale K. Benington, June 21, 2015

9. "Throne Room" Marker

Close-up view, that is displayed on the marker, of an illustration, that is identified on the marker as being figure 2, showing the image of a griffin that was found in the fresco of the "Throne Room."

By Dale K. Benington, June 21, 2015

10. "Throne Room" Marker

A close-up view of the griffin, with a lion's body and a bird's head, that is found in the reconstructed fresco, on the back wall, of the "Throne Room."

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on July 14, 2015, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. This page has been viewed 191 times since then and 2 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. submitted on July 14, 2015, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.